College Update
Dear Families,
Congratulations to the Class of 2010 and their exciting college choices. Many of our seniors are currently spending time taking one final look at their schools to make a decision. As they decide where they want to spend the next four years, we begin to take a look at the last four years. With 8 weeks left in the school year, we don’t have much time together to do so, but with individual and class meetings, we have started the process of saying goodbye. Phil will be sending the final college list out sometime in the next week so families can take a look.
Meanwhile, our juniors are just beginning the process. Next week, on Thursday and Friday, as a class they will travel to visit colleges, Yale University, SUNY Purchase, Muhlenberg College and Haverford College, and our tenth graders have their first college night on Tuesday, April 20, 6:30 PM. Families are encouraged to attend with their tenth grader. Finally, the college office invites tenth and eleventh grade families to attend a College Financial Aid Information workshop provided College Funding Services. This workshop will take place on Tuesday, April 27, 6:30 PM here at the high school.
LREI’s college calendar continues even as we search for a new Director of College Guidance. One candidate visited the school today, and another is visiting on Monday, April 19. Once again, I encourage your participation and feedback. Please see my email from this week to families detailing candidate information and visit schedule.
All the best,
Ruth
Updates and Announcements:
History teacher Mark Bledstein has been selected for a TEA Summer Seminar in China. The 2010 TEA Seminar in China is made possible through a generous grant from the Freeman Foundation, which has dedicated its efforts to improving the quality of teaching about Asia in the nation’s schools. Mark will be joining nine other educators from across the nation in the study program which is conducted by the Program for Teaching East Asia (TEA) at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
During the 14 day seminar, the group will travel to the cities of Taipei, Tainan, Junmen, Xiamen and Hong Kong. During the program, the group will focus on understanding “What is Modern China? Considering China’s Southern Edge and Beyond.” As part of the seminar program, teachers will tour historical sites, visit with academic specialists and local resource people and participate in daily class meetings. Mark will share the study experience with students, other faculty and the community throughout the next academic year. Congratulations, Mark!
1. The Internet Is Public Life Today- social networking for parents. Join your fellow LREI parents/guardians for a discussion of our children’s online lives with a presentation by Don Buckley, Director of Communications Technology at the School at Columbia. April 26th, 6:30PM-8:00PM, Sixth Avenue Auditorium.
2. Adult rED–click here to read about our next round of adult education classes. Sign up ASAP as our classes begin on Tuesday, April 20th.
3. Update from Red is Green Committee:
As part of our Earth Day celebration, we are planning to have a slide show with a variety of images that are representative of Earth Day in some way. Please send us your pictures of what Earth Day means to you. So far we have received pictures of kids working in the garden, children at the beach, families playing together outside, animals, pictures of the earth and pictures from last year’s Earth Day. Thank you to all those who have already sent in pictures. Please send pictures in .jpg format to kbeck2@nyc.rr.com by this Friday, April 16.
We will be having an organic bake sale on Monday, April 19 after school. Weather permitting, we hope to be outside the Sixth Ave. building. Sign-up sheets are posted in the Sixth Ave. lobby, next to the receptionists desk. Please stop by for some tasty organic treats!
Please join us for a presentation on Monday, April 26, at 8:45 a.m. in the Sixth Ave. cafeteria on how climate change is affecting our NYC water supply and wastewater infrastructure. Hilary Meltzer, LREI parent and part of NYC’s environmental law team will discuss regional projections about environmental changes and threats to our water supply all posed by climate change.
April’s recycle drive is… Corks. Cork comes from the bark of the cork oak tree. While it is a renewable resource, it takes a long time to harvest (25 years for the first harvest, 9 years thereafter). We recycle corks either by fulfilling teacher demand for them, or sending them to Terracycle, who turns them into products like cork boards. Drop off all used corks – natural or synthetic, wine or champagne. Drop off corks in the Red is Green bins in the Sixth Ave. or Charlton St. lobbies through the month of April.
4. Have you noticed the beautiful poems posted on the walls of the LREI the last couple weeks? We are in the midst of National Poetry Month, and our kids have been reading, reciting, studying and writing poetry. Next Tuesday, April 20th, will bring another way for us all to appreciate poetry together: Poem in Your Pocket Day! Please encourage your kids to pick out a favorite poem to have in their pockets, ready to share with others throughout the day. Click here for the flyer. (Don’t worry if you forget; there will be extra poems available at the front door that morning, or in the library.)
5. Save the Date: The 17th Annual LREI Camping Trip will take place June 4-6 this year at the Riverbend Group Campground along the Delaware River. All LREI families and their children — from all grades pre-K through high school — are invited to participate. Watch for details and sign-up tables coming soon. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help organize, please contact Larry White at LWhite@stern.nyu.edu or (212) 533-1966.
6. Stir the Pot: Taste of the Future, Thursday, May 13th at 6:00pm, Charlton Street
What is the Stir the Pot event all about? First and foremost, it is meant to be a laid back gathering where the LREI community comes together for some food and fun. We are connecting the event to our local community by soliciting restaurateurs who are willing to highlight their culinary skills to the LREI community. Think of it as a potluck dinner with amazing food and a little bit of fundraising mixed in to support the school.
To date, we received some incredibly generous donations including Mario Batali’s Gelato truck, Lee Hansen’s Minetta Tavern burgers and Jason Denton’s Inotecca Tapas. While we’re off to a great start, we need a lot of additional restaurant and beverage donations as we’re looking to feed about 400 hungry parents.
We are hoping you will join the Stir the Pot Planning Committee. Our next committee meeting will be held on Thursday, April 22nd at 8:45am in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria. This is a great opportunity to contribute to the school and meet some new parents.
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please contact Maude Kebbon at mkebbon@lrei.org or 212-477-5316, ext. 232.
Thank you so much, in advance, for your support!
7. Thank you so much to everyone who helped to make this year’s Art Auction a rounding success! It was a spectacular event and everyone has a wonderful time.
There are still some pieces of art that are for sale so please visit http://artauction.lrei.org/ for additional information and to view items that are available. If you have any questions, please contact Maude Kebbon at mkebbon@lrei.org or 212-477-5316, ext. 232.
Additionally, there are still tickets available for two exciting events this spring. Please contact Maude if you are interested!
The Jim Cottrell/Joe Lovett & Sue Scott Collections, Hosted by LREI Parent Sue Scott:
An evening of art & conversation at two private collections including works by Baechler, Basquiat, Murray and Bourgeois. Tickets are $200 each.
Wednesday, May 5th at 6:00pm
“Greater New York” Emerging Artists Survey, PS 1
A private tour with curator & LREI parent Neville Wakefield one day before the exhibit opens. Meet the artists and see their art! Tickets are $200 each.
Saturday, May 22nd at 2:00pm